Colorado small employers in 2027: what an ICHRA or QSEHRA allowance buys on Connect for Health Colorado (benchmark Silver $615 a month at 40, 6 insurers.
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The short answer: a Colorado business with 1 to 50 employees chooses between a small-group plan and reimbursing staff for individual plans bought on Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s own exchange. The benchmark Silver plan an allowance buys here costs $615 a month for a 40-year-old in 2027 (KFF, statewide), 6 insurers sell (Cigna left after 2026), and the approved average increase is +10.0%. The owner’s own coverage follows the entity, and the Form 8941 credit follows headcount and wages, the same in every state.
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Connect for Health Colorado publishes no county file, so the figures here are statewide. Enter your ZIP and a licensed agent prices a group plan, an ICHRA, a QSEHRA and the owner’s own plan for your list, free.
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| Benchmark Silver, age 40, full price | $615 a month in 2027 ($557 in 2026, +10.4%) |
|---|---|
| U.S. average benchmark | $704 a month |
| Approved average 2027 rate change | +10.0% |
| Insurers selling 2027 plans | 6: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Colorado Access, Denver Health Medical Plan, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Select Health |
| Left after 2026 / new for 2027 | Cigna / Colorado Access (14 counties) |
| Where to enroll | Connect for Health Colorado, the state’s own exchange since 2014 coverage |
| Open Enrollment for 2027 | November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 |
| 2027 credit line, 1 / 2 / 4 people | $63,840 / $86,560 / $132,000 |
Sources: KFF Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums, 2027 and 2026; Colorado Division of Insurance final 2027 rate decision, September 22, 2026; Connect for Health Colorado. Colorado runs its own exchange, so the county-by-county CMS file behind the HealthCare.gov state pages does not exist here; prices by county come from the exchange or from a licensed agent.
The 2027 premium tax credit line for the owner’s own coverage is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for a couple and $132,000 for a family of four, on net income; above it the full price applies and the private market is the comparison. The deduction route depends on the entity (by entity type). Colorado against the other states: Plans By State; the 1099 side: Plans For 1099.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Colorado Access, Denver Health Medical Plan, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Select Health (Colorado Division of Insurance final 2027 rate decision, September 22, 2026; Connect for Health Colorado). Cigna left after 2026.
Yes. The business sets a monthly allowance, each employee buys an individual plan on Connect for Health Colorado, and the business reimburses up to the allowance. The allowance is tested against each employee’s lowest-cost Silver plan: if it makes that plan affordable, the employee loses the marketplace credit; if not, the employee may opt out and keep it.
KFF’s benchmark Silver plan for a 40-year-old is $615 a month at full price (U.S. average $704), after an approved average increase of +10.0%. Prices differ by county and age; a licensed agent prices a real census.
Price the four routes for a Colorado payrollBack to the ZIP box near the top of this page.